No Dogs Allowed

Blackout, Beryllium

I swallowed him back down, and at least remembered to breathe.

Kane had either been relegated to using an umbrella outside or simply not going outside at all, per Ramos's orders. The Corvidae, as many racing stadiums, was covered and indoors, so practice didn't elicit any extra precaution, but as for hangouts, Corvus had been left with more limited options.

"With the poisoning worsening, heat in general will make you more tired more often," Ramos said. "I can give you more medicine for it, but the side effects might not be worth it. But you let me know. My best advice, even if it's not your favorite: stay inside when you can, leave the going out for AC and nighttime. Got it?"

"You hate me," Kane had replied, and flopped back on the bed.

Rosalie said, "We got it."

"And I take you're keeping up diet and exercise? You're eating well?" Ramos asked.

Kane said, "Don't worry about me, Ramos."

Corvus had subsequently frequented many indoor restaurants, cafes, and malls as their weekly excursions. Kane looked quite contemptuous at having to carry an umbrella, but he did so nonetheless. Still, with Green Diamond preoccupying most of our minds, and Luan's and my fight putting quite the knife in the atmosphere, Corvus wasn't really keen on going out too much anyway.

"Nothing wrong with takeout and a movie, right?" Meredith said with a smile. "Getting sick of Cafe food."

Kane just hummed and nodded. "Whatever you want."

I'd practically abandoned my room by then, spending nearly every night in Kane's, by circumstance, I'll have you know. I typically fell asleep talking or listening to him talk, and didn't have the energy to move once I'd gotten comfortable. His bed was bigger anyway. This, you have to know.

It made the mornings interesting in their own respects.

"Kiss me good morning and I'll kill you," I told him when I felt the bed shift and the scent of soap hovered over me.

Kane kissed me with cane sugar and maple. He murmured against my mouth, "Wake the fuck up, we got practice."

"That's basically a good morning," I snapped, opening an eye.

"You never specified the phrasing," he replied, and kissed me harder.

Corvus didn't help.

"That's not your shirt," Diego said obviously.

I looked down at the Carhartt cotton shirt that, yes, was definitely not mine, courtesy of the lack of HELLO KITTY and it being two sizes too big. I straightened. I said, "What is a shirt?

"Wow," Kenzo said flatly.

Diego narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, okay."

Meredith was the root of all evil, really.

"Sorry," I gasped, buckling over as I held up an apologetic hand to Coach. "Sorry...we're...late."

"We?" she asked.

Kane burst through the door behind me. He held up the same hand. "Sorry...we're...late."

Coach said, "And why's that?"

Kane hurried out a, "Big crowds," as I blurted, "A murder."

Corvus gaped at me. Kane gaped at me. Coach gaped at me. I cleared my throat.

"Er, allegedly," I tried.

Rosalie shook her head. "I'm moving to fucking Switzerland."

Meredith stared at us, then hummed with a smile. "Interesting," she said, walking away.